Roses closure prompts discussion about what’s next

The pending closure of Roses in the Pantops Shopping Center is the latest in the end of an era, as 20th-century commercial patterns continue to wane. A looming vacancy might be seen as a catalyst for new construction to fit the needs of the 21st century, but a representative of the firm that owns the […]

Albemarle County launches system to access plans under review

In any given year, Albemarle’s community development department processes thousands of documents that are used to determine what gets built throughout the county.  As 2025 begins, the county has launched a new way for residents and businesses to access those documents via the internet. Monday morning saw the debut of Civic Access. “This portal provides […]

Navigating the affordable housing landscape in 2025

One of the toughest issues facing the greater Charlottesville region is the ever-increasing cost of housing, a barrier to financial stability for many. The problem has been getting worse over the past few years due to rising property assessments, increasing income disparity, and a shortage of housing.  According to the U.S. Department of Housing and […]

BAR wants updated design for affordable-housing project

The developers of a proposed six-story building at the corner of Wertland and 10th streets returned to the Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review in December to get additional feedback.  “A development team consisting of Preservation of Affordable Housing, National Housing Trust, and Wickliffe Development Consulting was chosen by the UVA Foundation to be the developer […]

Local land use in 2024, by the numbers

There has not been an uneventful year in Charlottesville real estate for a long time, and no amount of column inches can capture all that happened in 2024. Here’s one way to take the pulse of this year.  0: The number of places there will be to live at 218 W. Market St. The developer […]

UVA unveils preliminary design for new Center for the Arts

As the University of Virginia continues to expand onto Ivy Road, its new buildings are creating a new urban fabric for the public institution’s footprint in Charlottesville. On December 5, a committee of the Board of Visitors reviewed a preliminary design for the proposed Center for the Arts, and recommended a smaller building.  “You’re dealing […]

Should a downtown movie theater be demolished to build new housing?

Crowds rarely attend meetings of the Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review, but quite a few people showed up for a November 19 preliminary review of a potential 184-foot-tall building at the Downtown Mall site of the Violet Crown movie theater. “I completely understand the magnitude of the importance of this property cannot be overstated,” said […]